Brentford at Everton, preview
The Bees play their first away game of the calendar year in Everton's shiny new Hill Dickinson Stadium.
The match-up
The Bees won their first Premier League away day at Everton 3-2, but failed to score on their last three trips to Goodison Park. They'll be hoping for better luck at the new stadium.
Recent form
The two sides sit just a point and a position apart in the league. Both have won 2 of their last 5, and both have recently had a scoreless draw. Everton's wins both came against Nottingham Forest, while the Bees beat Wolves and Bournemouth.
Despite the teams being close in the league table, the Opta Power Rankings give Brentford the edge.
Opta Power Rankings (as of 3rd January 2026)
| Club | Current PL position | Opta rating | PL rank (Opta) | Global rank (Opta) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brentford | 9 | 90.7 | 9 | 19 |
| Everton | 8 | 90.0 | 12 | 25 |
Other data stories
Everton settling into new stadium
With time, Everton will surely become dominant in their new home. So far this season, they've picked up 5 wins from their first 10 games at home. Their last game at home was a tough one, losing 1-0 to Everton, only managing 0.2 expected goals (xG) and 35% possession.
Team comparison
As we've already noted, the teams have similar point totals and league rankings. Let's look at how some of their other numbers compare.
Comparing selected stats for Brentford and Everton (source: FBref)
| Category | Brentford | Everton |
|---|---|---|
| Goals scored | 28 | 20 |
| Penalty kicks won | 6 | 1 |
| Expected goals | 28.1 | 21.8 |
| Expected goal differential | +2.7 | -5.0 |
| Clean sheets | 4 | 8 |
| Save percentage | 74.6% | 68.8% |
| Shots on target percentage | 37.2% | 28.5% |
| Pass completion rate | 75.9% | 75.9% |
| Tackles won | 180 | 196 |
| Average possession | 45.8% | 43.1% |
| Substitutes per game | 4.1 | 3.3 |
| Aerial duels win rate | 52.8% | 53.9% |
Mid-season league table
Brentford's current position in the middle of the Premier League table feels comfortable for many Brentford supporters and likely comes as a surprise to many outside onlookers.
Let's look at how the Bees and other teams have fared throughout the first 19 match weeks of the season so far.
Premier League positions midway through 2025-26 (source: Correlation FC)
Hover over, or tap on a line or team name to see their season story highlighted.
If that chart is too chaotic for your tastes, we've also plotted each team's league ranking separately to more easily see the patterns. Aston Villa has had quite a ride. Surely Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest will be hoping for better second halves. While Wolves may not have much luck bringing their flat-lined season back to life, Arsenal will be hoping that their flat line continues through until the end of the season.
Premier League positions midway through 2025-26 (source: Correlation FC)
This story was published on 03 January 2026. It was written by Dennis Flood. The image at the top of this story was generated using AI based on photos taken by Dennis Flood.
